Mass spectrometer with a quadrupole ion trap and also a further ion trap and a time-of-flight mass analyzer has reduced ion loss and improved duty cycle for the mass analyzer

摘要

A mass spectrometer with a quadrupole ion trap (QIT) together with a further ion trap and a time-of-flight mass analyzer is such that in a first operational mode the further ion traps receive a pulse or impulse of ions mass selectively rejected from the QIT or removed by scanning, the ratio of maximum and minimum mass-charge ratios in the impulse being set to 4 or below; and the ions captured by the QIT are collision-cooled in the further traps. Independent claims are also included for processes using spectrometers (also claimed) in which ions of different mass-charge ratios are stored in different ion traps, the ions of one mass-charge ratio are fragmented, some of the ions are captured in the first ion trap at a first lower mass cut-off limit and other ion fragments are captured in a second ion trap at a second lower mass cut-off limit, the second limit being lower than the first.